Disney+ comes with my Hulu bundle, otherwise I wouldn't bother with it. Their content is 70% Marvel, 29% Star Wars, and 1% everything else. If you aren't a follower of those franchises (which I'm not), there is nothing for you. lol dramatic
Think you just have to remember that everything will increase in cost over time. Nobody can offer good content at a cheap/reasonable cost for long. So you will need to be prepared to leap-frog around. But that's the game.
There seems to be a good amount of competition right now, but when we get to the point of major consolidation the beautiful monopoly market will kick in
There will still be a big split. Netflix Prime Disney+/Hulu/ESPN HBO/Discovery Paramount+ Then the niche streamers like Shudder. I think now the focus is on quality programming.
Oh yeah, I knew I was forgetting at least one. Does anyone actually pay for that or is it free only if you have Comcast?
One thing "cutting the cord" has done is save me money. lol. I just have my YouTubeTV and barely watch anything on that but about a handful of channels. I binge watch all the new Star Trek shows in less than a month when Paramount+ has a free month offer, so that costs me nothing or minimal if there's just a discount available as opposed to a "free month". I really don't have anything else anymore. I'll probably go ahead and get the overpriced NBA League Pass to torture myself by only watching the Rockets, too. I don't carry packages for the entire year anymore, which I couldn't do with Spectrum, AT&T, etc. cable packages. You just kept paying month after month and for a bunch of junk you don't even watch, and they'd keep jacking up your bill yearly. You then play the "I SWEAR I'M GOING TO LEAVE" game at the end of the year and pray they give you a deal. lol. On the plus side, my 2-year contract for cable internet with Spectrum expired recently and it looks like they "only" increased it by $10. It would've sucked if they would've doubled it like I thought they were going to do, especially since there really isn't much of an alternative in this black hole of Internet speed where I live. Of course at $70 or $75 or whatever I'm paying now, it's still not a bargain for 500 mbit internet. Come to think of it, maybe I can lower the speed and get a discount. It's not like I need 500 mbit, either.
Netflix is only getting stronger. They don’t even give out free trials and they still in the game with the big boys. Apple TV is underrated
Criterion is probably the best bang for your buck if you like actual movies, real cinema. Their selections are always fresh and new. Something new everyday
Current cord cutting measures from the OG of cord cutters. My strategy is: I am currently building up a substantial dvd library. I have about 300 movies that I bought for $1 or less, a lot of interesting movies. I have recently began collecting Criterion releases. Criterion has a half price sale a few times a year. I have begun collecting silent films and various other movies. I have over half of Pixar films. Go to eBay and you can buy them cheap. I collect old 80s horror: Terrorvision. And such. Beyond that I am using Sirus XM for all of my sports entertainment. $11 a month. I still have the sprint Kickstarter plan for $35 a month. Never going to stream again. And television today is terrible anyway.
At first, I didn't understand it but after meeting people who did it years ago I can't imagine going back to cable. I only watched a handful of channels and now still do, if I want live sports or Rocket games I can get Sling, Fubo, etc. during the season and just watch other streaming channels during the off-season. I get several free with other products and really only pay for Netflix, no need for a DVR, and commercial-free so I'm good. I could still pay for the large cable bundle, but that money I can put to better use as I found I didn't need it.
